There is a sense of forboding in public school districts across the state about next year’s budget, one that even a federal infusion of $268 million to save jobs hasn’t appeared to shake.

Talks began almost immediately on how to spend the money allocated on Monday, and while some are looking at tearing up class schedules and shuffling children and teachers around to provide smaller class sizes this year, many superintendents are leaning towards saving the cash for next year.

“I’m not going to break up classes at this stage in the game. All of our transportation routes are set, all of our classes are set. To do that now would be totally disruptive,” said Old Bridge Superintendent Simon Bosco, whose district received more than $1.5 million.

The funding is part of a one-time $10 billion bill passed by Congress and geared towards saving teaching jobs across the country. An estimate from President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors said it could pay for 3,900 teachers in New Jersey, though the money doesn’t have to be spent specifically on teaching salaries and doesn’t need to be spent until 2012.

But if it wasn’t already there, Acting Education Commissioner Rochelle Hendricks put the writing on the wall for another tumultuous budget year in a letter to districts on Monday.

“While record levels of total federal, state and local funding have been made available to schools in recent years, the next budget cycle promises to be challenging. Therefore, please consider reserving this one-time funding for the 2011-2012 school year if possible,” Hendricks wrote.

Bosco said the letter was a major factor in how he feels the money should be spent. Superintendents in Perth Amboy, North Plainfield, Spotswood and Plainfield also said they will be cautious with the new funding.

“My mother taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I’m happy to have (the money), but who knows what’s going to happen with state aid (next year). If I had a crystal ball, I’d love to see that, but I don’t so I’m a little bit leery of spending too much too soon,” said North Plainfield Superintendent Marilyn Birnbaum.

In Plainfield, which received $3.3 million, Superintendent Anna Belin-Pyles said she hopes to hire back some teachers to deal with overcrowding at the Frederick W. Cook K-8 Center, but also plans to keep an eye on next year.

“It has to be a very careful plan,” Belin-Pyles said. “It’s delicate. It’s very easy to see a dollar amount and say let’s do X, Y and Z with it, but you have to look at the future as well.”

By contrast, Union Township School Superintendent Patrick Martin said he hopes the more than $1 million his district received can be used to restore programs lost during last year’s budget cuts. He compared the one-time funding to the stimulus package funding schools received two years ago.

“People are already saying already it’s only for a year or two. I know that’s true but sometimes you have to, I think, to take what’s given to you and make the most of it,” Martin said. “If it’s a year or two that we get some relief, that’s great.”

Edison interim superintendent Ronald Bolandi said he was shocked by how little money — $579,015 — his district received. Edison eliminated dozens of teaching jobs last year, but Bolandi said this new funding may allow the 14,500-student district to hire nine back.
Bolandi said he doesn’t believe hiring teachers would create much of a disruption in any district.

“If districts want to make it work, they can make it work,” Bolandi said. “If not, I’d be glad to take their money. I’d take that chaos.”